Our Matriarch Rivkah: A Mother Making Tough Choices

I am not so sure that I agree with her. She seems to be simply trying to justify Rachael's duplicity.

Years later, when Joseph presents his boys to Jacob for a blessing, he puts the elder such that Jacob's right hand would rest on him. But Jacob, under the influence of G-d, crossed his hands. When Joseph went to correct him, Jacob acknowledged that he had crossed his hands because "the younger shall serve the elder".

That could very well have happened here if Rachel had not interfered. Like He did with Jacob, Hashem may very well have caused Ishmael to give the proper blessing to Jacob.

So, I am not so sure that the lessen should be that we should justify duplicity. The lesson may be that, had Rachael not interfered, G-d would have caused Ishmael to give the proper blessing to each of the two sons. If that had happened, there may have still been a rift between the two brothers. But, Rachael's duplicity made that rift infinitely worse.

Just my humble 2 cents.

Vincent The Goy Reply